How to Plant Lily of the Valley

If you've ever seen a mass of lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) blooming in the woods, you'll know it gets its common name "lady's tears" from its tiny, white, bell-shaped flowers dancing from upright stems. The plant also is called May bells because it usually flowers in May.

It's simple to plant lily of the valley specimens and have success, provided you set the plants in a spot with the right environment and give them a bit of care until they become established.

For the best results from lily of the valley, choose a planting spot that is partially to fully shaded; under tall trees that cast shifting shade is ideal. The plant grows by expanding underground stems called rhizomes. So it's also important to plant where there's room for it to spread over time.

Lily of the valley also needs well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter; if your soil contains clay, then mix 1 or 2 inches of coarse sand into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil to improve its drainage. It's also helpful to boost the soil's fertility by spreading about 2 inches of compost over the area and mix it into the top few inches of soil before planting lily of the valley.

Lily of the valley grows as a perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 7 or zones 3 through 8, depending on the source, with its foliage dying back and the plant entering dormancy during winter. Even though lily of the valley is frost-hardy, it's best to plant new specimens in early spring, whenever the soil becomes workable. Start with either bare-root, dormant plants or young plants in pots, both of which are available at garden centers.

A lily of the valley plant is about 6 inches wide when it's mature. So allow at least 6 inches between new plants to provide enough space for them to spread well. Whether your lily of the valley is a bare-root plant or was grown in a nursery pot, start with a planting hole that is about twice the size of the plant's root area.

Set each bare-root plant with its pointed, green bud -- called a pip -- pointing upward and about 1 inch below the soil's surface. Spread each plant's roots under the pip, fill the rest of the planting hole with soil, tamp the soil lightly and water the planting site well.

If a lily of the valley is in a nursery pot, then remove it from the pot and set the plant in a hole only deep enough to keep the plant at the same soil depth at which it grew in its pot. Then fill the remainder of the planting hole with soil, and tamp the soil lightly. Water the soil thoroughly after planting.

Lily of the valley can be invasive in some parts of the United States, where it might spread into naturalized areas by sending out rhizomes. Don't plant it near a wooded area. Surround the planting with a barrier sunk several inches into the ground to prevent the spread of new rhizomes.

Lily of the valley tolerates dry conditions well once established, but a new planting benefits from regular moisture, especially during the first few weeks after planting. Water new plants whenever the top of their soil feels dry to the touch, but use a soaker hose or drip irrigation to keep foliage dry and help suppress growth of fungus. It's also helpful to spread a 2-inch layer of bark mulch under the plants to help conserve soil moisture, but keep the mulch a few inches from each plant's center to discourage the growth of fungus.

Lily of the valley flowers are extremely fragrant and so are used as cut flowers for indoor arrangements.